For the first time in nine incarnations, hip-hop’s Mecca festival, Rock the Bells, expanded to two days, the first of its three regional events taking place Aug. 18-19 in Satan's Sauna, San Bernardino’s frustratingly hot NOS Events Center. (The fest hits Mountain View this weekend and Holmdel, N.J. just before Labor Day.)

Another big change: Alongside RTB veterans such as Nas, Common and various Wu-Tang Clan members, this year's roster embraced a significant number of more radio-ready acts – most notably J. Cole, Kid Cudi, Tyga, 2 Chainz and Wiz Khalifa. All of them are more likely to turn up at a Powerhouse at Honda Center than this traditionally underground-focused bash.

Organizers claimed they wanted to construct a lineup that fulfilled an old-school-meets-new-school theme. But given that Day 1 comprised mostly maainstream players and Day 2 predominantly underground and classic artists, it's debatable whether that goal was actually met.

Regardless, what was achieved amid that milieu was what Rock the Bells does best: draw in rare performances and reunions that continue to solidify it as the world’s highest-tier hip-hop and rap gathering.

On Saturday, the strongest of all performers – absolutely uncontested – was Eve’s return to the stage alongside fellow Ruff Ryder star DMX. Not that it wasn’t a blast witnessing the latter rapper hype fans with the ever-aggressive hit “Party Up (Up In Here),” but it was infinitely more thrilling when Eve, exuding more beauty and confidence than ever, strutted down the main stage’s center catwalk, downright killing it on her verse of “Ruff Ryders Anthem.”

Her following five-song mini-set, including a few invigoratingly fierce new cuts plus closing smash “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” incited the weekend’s biggest dance party. It was just a taster, but enough to conclude that it would be worth good money to see her deliver a full-blown performance sometime soon. (Chances are good, too, as she’s been fairly vocal lately about a new album dropping later this year.)

For many, Sunday's big attraction was the reunion of all five original members of Cleveland collective Bone Thugs-n-Harmony reviving their classic third album E. 1999 Eternal, a 1995 breakthrough bolstered by the group's Grammy-winning tribute to the late Eazy-E, “Tha Crossroads.”

Personally, though, Bone Thugs, with their excessive R&B-infused tributes to the love of marijuana, put me to sleep. Besides, though they’ve said they will rarely appear in original form again, their set was no match for another, far more anticipated reunion, that of Deltron 3030.

The hip-hop supergroup – comprising producer Dan the Automator (of Handsome Boy Modeling School fame), DJ Kid Koala and rhymer Del the Funky Homosapien (known by most for his 2001 cut with Gorillaz, “Clint Eastwood") – hadn’t played a stateside gig in about a decade. (They premiered new material in Toronto in June.) For this show, which celebrated several tracks from their self-titled 2000 disc plus bountiful new songs from the forthcoming Deltron Event II, the trio was backed by a full band, horn and string sections, and a small choir, all literally conducted maestro-style by Dan.

I try to minimize using the term “epic,” but this set epitomized that descriptor. Del’s lyrical delivery was at times slightly shaky on new songs, yet the sheer volume emitting from that smaller second stage was breathtaking, while Koala’s samples and scratch breaks were overpowering and otherworldly amid such beautiful punctuations of brass and strings.

Added bonus: a guest spot from Aaron Bruno, frontman for alt-rock outfit AWOLNATION, which prompted Dan to confirm that Deltron 3030's long-awaited sophomore album, rumored for at least six years, is not only mastered but will feature “a lot of friends,” among them Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha.

While Del’s role here was a highlight, his complete absence from his own crew, Hieroglyphics, earlier in the day on the same stage was a huge letdown. Why, when he has so many excellent verses to add to their songs, wouldn’t he pop out for at least one?

Another bummer: Mix Master Mike, longtime DJ for Beastie Boys, did not elect to include an MCA tribute, although he did mix plenty of Beasties into his routine and hinted that a show honoring Adam Yauch would happen eventually.

Overall, despite the strange collision of mainstream and indie hip-hop crowds, the weekend was a blast. I’d guess that scheme was designed to attract bigger sponsors (Boost Mobile, Blackberry, Coca-Cola and MySpace, among others) more so than unifying demographics.

Yet, if those entities can keep the cash flowing to draw back the heaviest hitters year after year, no one should quibble even a bit. Heck, I’d take encore performances of Big Daddy Kane, Salt-n-Pepa (so fantastic!) or Atmosphere any day.

Then there was Nas, the perfect choice to close this festival, running through all the best tracks from Illmatic plus choice cuts off his latest chart-topping album, Life Is Good. And that came after Ice Cube slayed on the second stage with a set of party-starting tunes that only sporadically ventured past 1995, a performance that defined this gathering's history-celebrating spirit.

So long as such timeless artists continue to return, rest assured Rock the Bells will remain hip-hop’s holy land.

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